India won the toss and chose to bowl first against South Africa in the third ODI at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
The three-match series stands level at 1-1, so the contest has become a winner-takes-all decider.
To begin with, stand-in captain KL Rahul explained that the team wanted to chase because of the dew factor and favourable batting conditions. He highlighted India’s strong performances in the first two games and expressed confidence that the squad could deliver under pressure.
Meanwhile, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma admitted he would have preferred to bowl first as well. He said a solid start from the top order would set the tone for the middle overs. The Proteas entered the match with momentum after their historic Test series win in India.
Furthermore, both teams have showcased powerful batting throughout the series, producing high-scoring encounters. Fans expect another run-fest in Visakhapatnam, with conditions likely to favour stroke play.
In addition, India’s batting lineup features Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Tilak Varma, while KL Rahul leads as captain and wicketkeeper. Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna strengthen the bowling attack.
On the other hand, South Africa rely on Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, and Temba Bavuma for batting depth. Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, and Keshav Maharaj provide balance in the bowling department.
India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul(w/c), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant, Tilak Varma, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy
South Africa Squad: Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock(w), Temba Bavuma(c), Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Ottneil Baartman, Rubin Hermann, Prenelan Subrayen
